The book begins from the day of the deed - 5 people hanged naked in a school gym in most horrific state. Detective chief Kinard Simonsen is called back from his vacation and given all funds and jurisdiction to investigate this. The things are complicated with rumors in the public about the hanged men and soon there is a systematic built up of rage and punishment in the country. When even your own team doubts the right and wrong, it takes a lot of patience and help from every corner to do justice.

The book, as much its well written and held all through till the last page, is a little confusing in the beginning. The team and the people being investigated are all a little difficult to tell apart in the initial scenes. Once you get a picture of that , its a smoith ride from there. There are some very brilliant scenes written in the book - flashes of human behaviour and vulnerability etched in them. The conversations are light and the bonds within the team make you like Simonsen a little more than the rest.

For me the major takeaway from the book was how some times public opinion is influenced by some powerful people - some with money and some with brains. It can be good when it makes people sit up and take notice of the situation but to make a huge spectacle of that doesn't let it stay just. The whole society is as right as wrong when it turns a blind eye on some crimes. This book talks about both the sides letting you decide Wether it was all worth in the end.

Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother’s tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that’s true enough, but there’s something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse.

From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father’s castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him. Mark Lawrence’s debut novel tells a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paints a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.Words of AT.This book is amazingly powerful and quite different. Have you ever come across a HERO of a book who rides with a gang of 40 members killing whom he wishes and raping whom he likes? No? Then, let me introduce you to Honorous Jorg Ancrath! He was soft and gentle like you and me, but situations made him a villain. Watching his brother and mother killed brutally, Jorg hangs on thorns bleeding his life. Even though he is removed from thorns, the scars and lessons stay with him. a young boy of nearly 13 burns kills a village, burns a kingdom, drives road brothers and he becomes a King. The book is quite fast. No meat nor fat just the muscle and skeleton. Although it is fast, it is quite amazing. some of you may not like it because of the scenes, episodes, Jorg's Attitude, but it surely is a worthy read. the character development is amazing. The story is split into present day events and past, i.e. four years earlier, here you can see the old Jorg and New Jorg. It is really a promising start to a trilogy. Completely loved it!My Rating : 4.2/5